Rival Palestinian leaders agreed to pull back their forces early Friday, a top official said, according to the AP.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas met early Friday in Gaza and agreed to work to defuse the tensions and recall their gunmen, Haniyeh told reporters. "We are going to end all armed displays in the streets," he said.

This came after fierce clashes on Thursday. The body of Col. Mohammed Ghayeb, chief of the Preventive Security Service in northern Gaza Strip, riddled with bullets and mutilated by stab wounds, was found in his home in northern Gaza Thursday night after a daylong battle with Hamas gunmen. The fighting also killed four of Ghayeb's guards and a Hamas gunman.

In several places in the West Bank late Thursday, Fatah gunmen attacked Hamas offices and vehicles. One Hamas activist was injured, Palestinian security officials said.

Friday's agreement was the latest of several others aimed at halting the internal battling.